opinions // 20

BC Ferries strong arm commuters with sea-leg proposals

» Why empty threats will not save money

Elliot Chan

-_ Opinions Editor NM opinions @theotherpress.ca

is acommon one: many

the way they are handling it is classless, knowing that they have a monopoly. Commuters traveling to and from the island do not have another alternative, and to act as though keeping the Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo route, one of the most popular routes for BC Ferries, is doing the publica great favour, well that is as if BC Hydro decided to turn off the power in the middle of the

night to save money, since well, : : of the island taxpayers

: support infrastructure in the Lower Mainland, and the

: demand to cross the strait

: is as high as ever. Someone

: at some point in the office

: of BC’s Transportation and : : Infrastructure Ministry messed : : up. But it doesn’t seem as : though the government is : trying to fix the problem; : : rather, they are subtly adjusting : : it, turning our attention in : another direction. Maybe

: this whole business is just to distract us while Enbridge

nobody needs electricity while they sleep, right?

BC Ferries’ clever tactic was to present a whole bunch of despicable proposals. Then, when everybody got pissed enough, they gave us an indisputable alternative: fare increase. Wow, didn’t see that coming. Thanks.

Ina viral open letter to BC Ferries posted on Facebook, Campbell River resident Sean Smith explains his frustration claiming that he doesn’t understand why BC

: Ferries is presenting itself

: as some sort of luxury cruise : ship, embarking on an exotic : destination. BC Ferries at its : best is a vessel for a weekend he problem BC Ferries faces : : who use it, it’s an overpriced transportation enterprises have : Sea Bus. Smith goes on to been known to lose money. But : : need a fancy restaurant, it

: does not need a marketing

: department, and it does not

: need bold advertisements in

: Rogers Arena. We don’t see

: ads in public areas telling us to : ride the bus do we? What BC: : Ferries needs to do is get off its : : high horse and act accordingly. :

getaway, and for most people

say that the vessel does not

The government doesn’t

want to pay for the ferries : anymore and for many who : live on the island that is

just ridiculous since many

What we need now isa

: private organization to stand up : and see the opportunity. There : isa lot of growth on Vancouver

Island, a region in our province

: larger than many island nations : : in the world, and connecting it with the rest of the country : can only be seen as a benefit.

: linking Prince Edward Island, a landmass less than half the

: size of Vancouver Island with : approximately six times fewer : people, to the mainland.

The solution is right in

: front of our eyes but for many : who make the choices, it’s too : : big of acommitment. By having :

theotherpress.ca

: the public will have something

: consistent to complain about.

: There will always be problems

: for the government; why

: not centralize it? Why not

: foreshadow the worst and act as : though they have saved the day : by doing nothing except raising

the price? Nice trick. Now do

: takes over. Conspiracy alert! : After all, there is a bridge the BC Ferries asa scapegoat, : your job. I want torrents, not tits! » Pornographic advertisements do not belong in our torrent libraries Brittney MacDonald advertisements is coming from with you!” accompanied by purely a strategy game, similar : a conservative or envious place. : often nude or underwear- : to chess. So why then use What I find most

Staff Writer

LL“ all get honest here for a second and admit that as Canadians we probably download more music and movies than we pay for. We’re in an Internet age, and that comes with certain benefits for the frugal. Unfortunately accessing the Pirate Bay and other peer-to-peer-based file sharing sites can be a bit hit or miss if you don’t want a screen full of debasing porn ads.

I would never describe myself as a prude, and nudity itself has never been an issue with me since I left that awkward puberty phase. I’m comfortable with myself, my size, and who I am, so I don’t believe my criticism of these

: I just think I should be able

: to search my favourite torrent

: libraries for Dolly Parton’s

: Greatest Hits, without seeing

: images of nude women being

: exploited to sell something toa : demographic I don’t fit in.

As a 20-something female

in a stable relationship,

: obviously these ads aren't for : me. They’re directed towards : a generalized demographic

: of lonely, basement-dwelling, : heterosexual men—a

: stereotype of Internet users

: that was deemed false

: sometime around the Y2K

: scare. Unfortunately, nobody : told the advertisers that.

Advertisements that

: feature catch lines such as : “Facebook for sluts” and : “Russian women want to chat

: clad women, just don’t get

: my motor running. Call me

: optimistic, but I find it hard : to believe that they work on

: men either. What I find most : facepalm worthy iswhenthe — : : ad is marketing something that : : has nothing to do with women.

Evony is a game I have

seen advertised on Isohunt,

: the Pirate Bay, and Sumo

: Torrent. The ads themselves

: often feature scantily clad

: women—either real photos

: or suggestive, well-endowed

: cartoons—begging for

: someone to “come and play

: with me.” Now, given the

: nature of the ads, one might

: assume that the game itself is : some sort of dating simulator : or maybe an online role-

: playing game. Nope, Evony is

: naked women to sell it, and

: why advertise on every torrent : cache or directory available? I : have no idea, but then again,

: I'm not a marketing executive.

Given that so many people of all ages, marital statuses,

and genders now use the

: Internet, I think that this

: method of advertising should : go the way of the dinosaurs.

: The feminist in me is mad

: at the blatantly exploitative

: nature of these ads, while

: the realist in me is tired of

: being continually bombarded : with advertisements that will : Never, ever interest me. To

: put it in perspective for our

: male readers, it would be like : if every YouTube video was

: preceded by an ad for yeast

: infection medication.

facepalm worthy is when the ad

is marketing something that has nothing to do with women.

There’s a simple solution

: of course. If you need ads,

: like many of these free-to-use : sites do, then why not accept

: advertisements for things that : all Internet users might enjoy, : regardless of gender. Things

: like Snuggies or Mountain

: Dew—you know, stuff useful

: for all those late nights

: downloading the latest episode : of Sherlock or Arrow.